PLC Member Weekly Update March 31, 2023

Logger’s Voice Spring 2023 Now Available!

The Sping edition of The Logger’s Voice is now available! Copies will be mailed out soon.

READ THE VOICE

PLC 2023 Logger and Fleet Safety Trainings 2023

Trainings are underway! Register Now!

*Members please note – The Rumford and Passadumkeag trainings are already full!

The PLC is pleased to offer Logger, Fleet and CPR Training for its members’ employees in person for 2023, March 30-May 24!

Dues Waived for 2024: If your company attends PLC Spring Training with at least 50% of its employees you will not have to pay PLC dues for 2024!

Please review our Logger and Fleet offerings and return registration forms IMMEDIATELY to ensure there is room for your employees at the chosen location/s. For schedule and registration info CLICK HERE.

IF YOU PREFER TO REGISTER ON PAPER CLICK HERE

Don’t delay! Register now!

PLC Annual Meeting May 4-5 2023

Register, Sponsor, Donate Now!

Registration for the 2023 PLC Annual Meeting, Dinner and Log A Load for Maine Kids Auction May 4-5 is now underway! We have a full schedule of events and we hope to see you there! We also have numerous Sponsorship opportunities at every level, and we welcome donations of items and cash for the Log A Load Auction to benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in Maine!

Highlights of the event will include lunch guest speaker Scott Dane, Executive Director of the American Loggers Council, our evening dinner and awards ceremony, and, of course, our live Log A Load for Maine Kids Auction! A full board meeting for all Contractor Members will be held the morning of May 5.

NEW THIS YEAR – Log A Load & Lobster! Join us on Thursday, May 4th for an amazing opportunity to raise money for the kids and experience Downeast Maine’s most remark­able renewable energy and blue berry fields, owned by the PLC’s Duane Jordan of Elliott Jordan & Son! Travel by bus from Bar Harbor and learn about what Duane and his family have invested in. Your day will end with a private lakeside Lobster feed with all the fixings! There will be guests from the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital’s joining us for the day and all proceeds will be donated to Log A Load For Kids! LEARN MORE

For the second year in a row we will be holding the event at The Harborside Hotel, Spa and Marina in beautiful Bar Harbor! Come join us for this important day and evening! Rooms are already available to book so why not reserve a room now?

Click here to book a room or use: https://www.opalcollection.com/harborside/stay/

Group Code: MEPL050423

REGISTER AND VIEW EVENT INFORMATION HERE

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES HERE

DONATE TO THE AUCTION HERE 

FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FOR FRIDAY MAY 5

If you have questions, please call or email Jessica Clark at (207) 688-8195 or Jessica@maineloggers.com

PLC 2023 Award Nominations Needed!

Do you know a person or business involved in the logging industry who ought to be recognized for service to the community, outstanding professionalism or service to the industry? If you do, please NOMINATE THEM for one of the PLC’s annual awards.

PLC Logging Contractor of the Year Award – The PLC Logging Contractor of the Year award recognizes a PLC Logging Contractor for their commitment to the sustainability of the industry and logging as a profession.

PLC Community Service Award – This Award is given annually to a PLC member, Supporting Member or affiliated organization that has demonstrated a significant commitment to giving back to their community.

PLC Supporting Member of the Year Award – The PLC Supporting Member of the Year Award is presented annually to a PLC Supporting Member who has demonstrated an unprecedented commitment to logging contractors in Maine.

Nominations should be received no later than April 14, 2023

*The list of previous award winners is available here: PLC Awards List 2015-2022.

NOMINATION FORM HERE

PLC Mud Season Reminder 2023

Mud season is now upon us, and that means many of you are facing the annual challenges of temporarily laying off employees or being laid off yourself.

Following extensive efforts by the PLC in 2018, laid off loggers will once again be granted up to a 6 week work search waiver while on unemployment, as long as they are able to provide a definite recall date to Maine’s Bureau of Unemployment Compensation.

The most important steps for logging contractors and employees to follow in order to take advantage of the waiver are the following:

1. A company provides an employee with a recall date.

2. The employee contacts the Bureau at 1-800-593-7660 selects option 2 and tells them the name of the company employing them and the recall date the company has given them. The employment representative will provide the necessary information needed for your work search waiver period and any guidance needed for future weekly claims for benefits.

3. The Bureau sends separation paperwork to the Company, at which point the Company will verify the recall date on the paperwork. 

4.  Phone lines are open from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM Monday through Friday. Monday’s are busiest at the unemployment office and tend to slow down each day following. Currently, the average wait times for phone calls are below 3 minutes, so please be patient and a representative will help you.

5.  For online self-service, click HERE. There are zero wait times and this option is available 7 days a week. Select “Create ReEmployME Account” if you do not already have an account created from prior years, or “Claimant Login” if you have filed through the ReEmployME system sometime within the last three years. Then select the “Unemployment Claim” tab at the top of your screen and go to “File Unemployment Claim.” Follow the prompts on the screen to file a new claim, or reopen an existing claim. The department is manually putting in a waiver through that date and will consider an extension as needed at that time.

Any questions may be directed to the Bureau at 1-800-593-7660.

Click here for more unemployment information and guidance

ALC Annual Meeting 2023 in Maine!

Reserve Rooms Now!

Save the Date for the 2023 American Loggers Council Conference and Membership Meeting at the Sunday River Resort in Newry, Maine October 3-6!

American Loggers Council President and long-time PLC Board Member Andy Irish and his wife Kathy look forward to hosting timber industry representatives for the peak “Leaf Peeping” season. More details will be coming soon!

For guests who would like to reserve a room online CLICK HERE

For guests who would like to call to book their reservation lease call 800-207-2365 and refer to Group Code 86B5IN

PLC Members Only!

Equipment Cost Calculators Available

Members,

With expenses rising rapidly in the industry we know you are struggling to get a handle on your costs. This is a great time to utilize the cost calculators created in 2021 for PLC Members.

These new, easy to use, logging equipment and log trucking cost calculators are available on the PLC Members Only section of our web site You may access this private section of the web site with your member login or set up a login HERE.

These calculators allow you to quickly estimate the hourly cost of operation for any piece of your equipment.

DISCLAIMER: These calculators are being made available for your business use as a member benefit. They produce equipment estimates and are not official products of the PLC nor should they be used for negotiation purposes.

PLC Online Store

PLC Upcoming Meetings

PLC Annual Meeting/Full Board Meeting

May 4-5

Bar Harbor, ME

Upcoming classes:

Lockout/Tagout – Control of Hazardous Energy: April 3, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta
o This half-day training session covers the OSHA requirements and procedures to be used in the Lockout/Tagout process to ensure safety during the repair and maintenance of equipment.

NEW – Safety and the Supervisor: April 4, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta. The success of any safety program is dependent on your front-line supervisors. Do they have the technical and interpersonal skills it takes to move your safety program in a positive direction? This training discusses the interpersonal skills all supervisors should develop to create a positive safety culture. In addition, the course will outline the key tasks supervisors should be performing on a daily basis to identify hazards and keep their employees safe.

Fire Extinguisher/Emergency Action Plans/Workplace Violence: April 10, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta. In this class, you will learn about Emergency Action Plans, including the use of fire extinguishers and how to maintain them. In addition, this class tackles the emerging concern for workplace violence and how to prepare your organization for this hazard. This is a one-day hands-on class. Those attending this class should come prepared to discharge a fire extinguisher.

NFPA #1401 Recommended Practices for Fire Service Training Reports and Records: April 18, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta. This half-day course provides training to fire fighters and emergency response personnel on the proper approach for conducting safe and efficient, live, fire-training evaluations for both acquired structures and static-burn facilities. Discussion will also include legal ramifications in the event of a negative outcome.

Trenching and Excavation: April 19, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at Sanford Community Adult Education, 668 Main Street, Sanford. This course explains the dangers to employees from trenching and excavation operations, soil classifications, OSHA requirements, and the types of protective systems to prevent cave-ins.

Respiratory Protection: April 20, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta. Where workers are required to wear respirators to do their jobs, employers need a respiratory protection program. This course helps you determine your respiratory protection needs and covers all the elements of a written respiratory protection program.

Impairment Detection Training for Employers: April 21, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the Tri-County CareerCenter, 45 Oak Street, Suite 3, Bangor. This one-day training session is designed to help owners, managers, and supervisors recognize and respond appropriately to employee-impairment in the workplace in order to reduce worker accidents and injuries. Participants will be taught procedures to detect impairment regardless of the substance or cause. This class is designed to fulfill the federal DOT requirements for reasonable suspicion training of supervisors. In addition, participants will learn how to develop and implement policies that address impairment in the workplace and are in compliance with Maine’s Substance Use Testing Law.

Trenching and Excavation: April 26, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the Presque Isle CareerCenter, 66 Spruce Street, Suite 1, Presque Isle. This course explains the dangers to employees from trenching and excavation operations, soil classifications, OSHA requirements, and the types of protective systems to prevent cave-ins.

A Practical Approach to Electrical Safety: April 28, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta. In this half-day class, you will learn how to protect workers from electrical hazards. NFPA 70E requirements will be discussed in layman’s terms.

Register and browse more classes here: https://www.safetyworksmaine.gov/training/scheduled_classes/register.shtml

NEW Featured HumpDay Safety Video – Ergonomics

CPR/First Aid/Bloodborne Pathogens certification: Did you know your employees are required to have this training every two years? If your employees need this training in 2023, contact Jessica at Jessica@maineloggers.com or 207-688-8195 and the PLC will schedule training in your area. THIS TRAINING IS FREE TO MEMBERS!

Now FREE to Maine Loggers! A $300 value!

LEARN MORE

Guidelines for Companies to Drug Test Employees Not Mandated by FMCSA

Before a company can start drug testing employees not mandated by FMCSA (commercial truck drivers), it must have a policy approved by the Maine Department of Labor (DOL). LEARN MORE

Motor carriers and drivers using ONE PLUS ELDs (n/k/a 1 PL Logs) have 60 days to replace the revoked devices with compliant ELDs.

On February 8, 2023, FMCSA removed the following device from the list of registered ELDs due to the company’s failure to meet the minimum requirements established in 49 CFR part 395, subpart B, appendix A.

ELD Name: ONE PLUS ELD (n/k/a 1 PL Logs)
ELD Model number: ORS
ELD Identifier: ORS160
ELD Provider: ONE PLUS ELD (n/k/a 1 PL LOGS)
ELD Registration ID: 8J3V

Old Town mill shutting down for extended period

OLD TOWN, Maine — Old Town’s pulp mill that reopened in 2019 will operate until mid-April before shutting down operations for an extended period.
Impending Old Town mill shutdown leaves questions about city’s future – Bangor Daily News

Introducing NEFF’s Climate-Smart Forestry Partnership: A Win for the Forests, Climate, and Communities of New England

 Wednesday, April 26 | 1—2:30 p.m. | Register Now

*Featuring panelist Ted Wright, Executive Director of the Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands

Over the next five years, New England Forestry Foundation will anchor a regional incentive program to build New England’s climate-smart, forest-based economy while protecting ecosystem health and biodiversity. The transformational scale of this pilot project is made possible by a $30 million investment awarded by the USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program.

NEFF welcomes you to join them and their USDA partners for an informational webinar and panel discussion detailing our plans for:

• Implementing forest management practices that store more carbon in the forest and in wood products substituted for fossil fuel-based materials,
• Quantifying the resulting carbon gains, and
• Building markets for climate-smart forest products

Panelists will include Richard Campbell of the American Forest Foundation’s Family Forest Carbon Program, Ted Wright of the Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands, Jeff Spiritos of Spiritos Properties, and Dan Hudnut of Wagner Forest Management, Ltd.

Please register in advance: bit.ly/Climate-Smart-Zoom

Maine Loggers – March 28, 2023

Woods Wise Wire – March 28, 2023

Seedlings – March 2023

Haix is looking for 100 wear testers!

Lexington, Kentucky, March 3, 2023: HAIX^® will be conducting a weartest giveaway to select 100 participants to test their choice of cut protective boots. HAIX will give chosen participants the choice between three models of HAIX^® Protector boots. HAIX^® wants tree care workers to feel the HAIX^® quality difference. That’s it. And what better way to do that than by giving 100 tree care workers the chance to get a free pair of HAIX^® boots on their feet. HAIX^® wants each chosen participant to put our shoes through their paces. And then, after wearing them on the job for 4 weeks, give us their feedback.

TRUCKING DISCOUNTS THROUGH THE ALC!

PLC Members, because the PLC is a member of the American Loggers Council YOU are entitled to special discounts on truck purchases! Click on the brand names below to learn more!

PETERBILT

WESTERN STAR

INTERNATIONAL

—

Fabian Oil Discount

Traction Heavy Duty Special

Wallingford’s Discounts

Maine Trailer Discounts

PLC Members get a 5% discount on culverts purchased at Treeline and Frank Martin & Sons

Hale Trailer discounts for PLC Members on new trailer purchases! Call Neal at 207-232-7969 for details!

Cross Arena Discounts for PLC! 

PLC Classified Section

Check out the equipment and job opportunities our members have listed at the LOGGING ZONE! If you have equipment for sale, are looking to buy, are looking for employees, or